Apparently this occured during top roping, the report says it may have been an equipment failure. The climber fell 100' .However, they mentioned that the rope didn't fail. I didn't know if anyone had any other details or insight.

Apparently this occured during top roping, the report says it may have been an equipment failure. The climber fell 100' .However, they mentioned that the rope didn't fail. I didn't know if anyone had any other details or insight.

It sounds like either the TR sling/cord came untied or the rope unclipped from the anchor biner(s?) Kind of freaky really. You just don't hear about TR anchor failures very often.

unless you count the times when someone threaded directly through webbing/ or the rope burned through the the anchor cordelettes threads... (Disclaimer: I'm not saying thats what happend here, just that toprope anchors do fail)

Rangers are looking for help in the investigation of a fatal fall at Raven's Roost Overlook on Wednesday. They are interested in talking to anyone who was at the overlook on the northern end of the parkway anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Jonathan Sullivan, 20 died while rock climbing with a group of five other climbers. According to friends, it was Sullivan's first time climbing an actual rock face. Investigators first thought an equipment failure was to blame.

If you were at the overlook at that time, or know someone who was there, please call the Blue Ridge Dispatch Office at (828) 298-2491.

Interesting. Not to say it's what happened, but it has always made me nervous to have my anchor up where the tourons hang out.

I was at Ravens roost this mourning talking to the park rangers conducting the investigation of the fall. Apparently all 3 climbers were gym climbers and it was their first day climbing outside. The rangers said it was the webbing used for the anchor that failed, yet it had not been severed. Which leads me to deduct that it was the climbers error, and someone failed to tie the knot in the webbing correctly.

For anyone who is interested, I was climbing at Ravens roost today, (which has re-opened since the accident) and was talking to a park ranger who said the investigation was almost complete. He was not allowed to divulge any information regarding the accident, however he said that they would be releasing the full report in about a week.

A little more information about this accident has come out. The NPS has ruled out foul play. (Since they TR anchor was at a popular overlook, it's possible that someone messed with their anchor. But they've ruled that out.)

It was Sullivan's first outdoor rock climb, and he and his friends put plenty of appropriate gear in place, Stinnett says, including one-inch tubular rope. What they didn't have, however, was a proper connection to an anchor point.

"He was climbing, and he put his weight on the system,' says [Park Ranger] Stinnett. 'They hadn't put a carbiner on one end, and it failed."

Unfortunately it's still not very clear what happened. Earlier articles said that the fatal climb was the sixth climb on that anchor that day. If it lacked "a proper connection to an anchor point," I'm not sure how it worked for the first five climbs.

My best guess at what the ranger is getting at is that they were top-roping directly through webbing. If this is the case, I'm a bit surprised that the system didn't fail earlier in the day.

Anyway, condolences to the victim and his friends and family. Perhaps a more detailed report will come out soon.

Didn't see a follow up to this anywhere else, so I will post. This accident was actually recently reviewed in last months Rock and Ice.

My understanding was the anchor was not properly extended. A sewn sling was used to extend the anchor from the original master point by a single overhand knot. Presumably this was a temporary knot. The rope was attached with biners to the extended sling, which was attached to the original anchor with an overhand knot.

The group top roped off the anchor this way for some time, before it gave way on the last climb of the day.

My analysis would be to never use non-loading bearing knots in your anchor set up even if you intend for it to be temporary.

My condolences to Family and Friends.

*Dont have the article in front of me. I will update any inaccuracies.

I don't follow the overhand not use. Was it not clipped in? I'm not sure I understand the way they had this set up.

Maybe he meant something like this?

that image makes me honestly sick to my stomach. that is the scariest thing i've seen on this website in a while and I can totally see both how someone would do that and how it'd cost their friend his life.

I don't follow the overhand not use. Was it not clipped in? I'm not sure I understand the way they had this set up.

Maybe he meant something like this?

that image makes me honestly sick to my stomach. that is the scariest thing i've seen on this website in a while and I can totally see both how someone would do that and how it'd cost their friend his life.

condolences again to the loved ones.

What type of scenario would lead someone to setup an anchor like this? I have no experience in setting anchors at all. I am just trying to understand what type of situation would compel someone to setup like that.